look someone in the face

Idioms  

1. Also, look someone in the eye. Face someone directly and forthrightly. These expressions imply honesty—or at least the appearance of honesty—in what is said, as in Can you look me in the face and tell me you don't want that prize? or John looked me in the eye and told me he didn't break the window. The first term was first recorded in 1566, the variant in 1931. Also see stare in the face.

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Example Sentences

“It was the time when they actually met someone who accepted them the way that they were, accepted them with whatever history they had, and they could actually look someone in the face, and smile at someone and get that smile back,” said Walks, who works with substance-abuse patients.

From Washington Post

“How can you look someone in the face and say, ‘No, I didn’t do that.’

From Reuters